Disneyland Paris

How to Get from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris by Train (Pics + Vids!)

January 16, 2024

Are you filled with dread about the concept of getting to Disneyland Paris from the Eurostar? Well, I’ve been there and done that (SEVERAL times!) and I’m here to put your mind at ease. That’s right, I’m here to tell you that if you’re trying to figure out how to get from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris by train, this go to guide is honestly all you need.

Not only will I cover every step from the Eurostar train to the parks, but I’ll offer detailed photos and videos to keep you on the right track. And if I’m being honest, the RER is the easiest way to travel from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris (and the cheapest!).

Now let’s do this thing.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Get from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris

Step One: Getting Off the Eurostar

I’ll be the first to say that I refuse to fly into Charles de Gaulle or Orly when I’m going to Disneyland Paris. It’s not that they’re not valid routes to Paris, but the Passport Control is slow and I find security quite stressful. Hey, I can’t help that I’m always carrying lots of skincare items!

What I love most about the Eurostar is that you do ALL the heavy lifting in London. You go through a quick security check and border agents from the UK AND France sort the immigration stamps.

So, once you’re actually in Paris, you literally walk off the train and straight into Gare du Nord!

You’ll want to walk off the train, walk to the Eurostar exit (straight ahead) and turn LEFT at the end.

Top Tip

Just as a heads up, I highly recommend logging on to the Eurostar website and checking your seats before traveling. You’ll be automatically assigned a seat, but I’m usually put at the back of the train by default.

There are several coaches you can choose from, and you’ll want to go as far forward as you can. This gets you closest to the exit into Gare du Nord.

Everyone disembarks slowly because of luggage, and you can get caught up in a crowd if you’re near the back. So, carriages 1-4 are the gold standard for a quick rush to the parks.

I’ve been to Disneyland Paris more times than I can count – trust me on this tip!

Step Two: Getting Out of Gare Du Nord to the Metro and RER Lines

Once you’re off the Eurostar (and have turned left!), look for a set of escalators going down.

There’s a small grab-and-go bakery right by the escalator and a large sign with “RER” and “M” on it. Here’s a picture if you’re not sure!

Take the escalator down and walk past the convenience/grocery store. You’ll then keep walking straight until you see a set of ticket machines on your right.

You’ll see this convenience/grocery store on your right as you head down the escalators. The ticket booths are JUST past it.

Step Three: Buying a Ticket

A photo I took of the ticket booths at Gare du Nord. As you can see, it gets quite busy and this wasn’t a particularly peak time!

Get in the queue for the ticket machines or queue up if you’d prefer to have a real person assist you at the ticket window.

Personally, I find the ticketing system easy to use (and I’ll walk you through it!). So, I suggest saving yourself about 15 minutes by queuing for one of the self-serve ticket machines.

Just so you know, there will be a mixture of French travelers and foreign tourists passing through. For that reason, you’ll want to have your payment card ready to avoid holding people up.

Many of the ticket machines have a big Mickey head right from the get-go. Just click this and you’ll be guided to a payment screen for tickets.

A ticket from central Paris to Marne-La-Vallee/Chessy (AKA: Disneyland’s station!) is €5 for an adult at the moment. You can buy a ticket for multiple people in one transaction, but you don’t save any money by doing this.

If you get to the ticket machine WITHOUT the Mickey head, you’ll want to:

  1. Select the English language option by hitting the flag at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Go to the “Purchase Tickets” option on the screen.
  3. Click the “I Don’t Have a Navigo Pass” option (you’re not a French local – probably!).
  4. Select the Ile de France option.
  5. Choose “Another Station”.
  6. Start typing the name of the Disneyland Paris station (Marne-la-Vallee). It should come up almost immediately.
  7. Select the station “MARNE-V.CHESSY” (or your closest station for a hotel – these are commonly Torcy and Val D’Europe).
  8. Choose whether you’re buying an adult or children’s fare.
  9. Pay with using the card machine attached to the ticket booth.

I’ve recorded a handy video of us purchasing two adult tickets to Val D’Europe here. For context, we usually stay off-site as it’s more affordable and that’s where our hotel is! It’s just one stop away from the parks.

“Here’s us buying tickets for Val D’Europe as that’s where our hotel was. However, it’s super easy to select “Tickets for MLV-Chessy Disney” on the third screen!

If you’re traveling from abroad, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend grabbing a Monzo or Wise card for your trip. This isn’t a promotion BTW, but they let you spend abroad with no fees. And in my world, those transaction fees can seriously add up.

If you’d rather pay with regular debit/credit cards or virtual payments like Apple Pay, you can!

Oh, just be aware that none of the machines take cash. If you want to pay with Euros, you need to head to the in-person ticket booth.

The “Services” desk is the manned station that you can purchase tickets at if you prefer. I took a quick photo to show how close it is to the self-service machines.

Step Four: Getting to the Trains for the RER B and D (AKA: The First Trains!)

This is the part that confused me the most when I visited Disneyland Paris for the first time from Gare du Nord.

I could not for the LIFE OF ME, find the train platforms as the station is quite maze-like. This is because it’s linking the regional train service (the RER) and the regular Metro.

Now, I don’t want you to go through the pain I did. So, I’ve recorded a handy video of me walking from the ticket booth to the RER. You should recognize several points as you’re walking through and it should help you find your way.

If you don’t watch the video, head to the RER SUD through one of the ticket barriers. Just so you know, it’s incredibly easy to accidentally go North as the escalators are very close to each other.

But let me repeat this – just follow the escalators that say D and B along with the word SUD. You can’t go far wrong if you do this!

Step Five: Boarding the Train

Take the escalators down (THAT SAY SUD, FOLKS!) and take a look at the boards to see which train is coming first. The trains depart from platforms 42 and 44 and you can board either the blue or green lines.

You’re only going one stop to Chatelet Les Halles and it doesn’t matter which line you choose – both trains go there! The time between stops is around 2.5 – 3 minutes depending on how quickly the train moves on a particular day.

The sign showing you that the train is going to Chatelet-Les-Halles. This should be just above your head at various spots along the platform.

I suggest staying near the left side of the train as you’re moving forward. This is the side the doors open, and it’s WAY easier to navigate if you’re carrying luggage. You’re also less likely to annoy the local French people, which is always a plus!

Step Six: Disembarking

I’ll be real and say getting off this train isn’t something you want to do slowly. A LOT of people get off here and they’ll be pushing to make transfers at this VERY POPULAR station.

To avoid getting caught up and pushed around, stay near the doors and move quickly.

It’s not as stressful as it sounds (honestly!), but start moving towards the doors as soon as you hear the station announcement.

Step Seven: Changing to the RER A

If you’re wondering how to get from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris, this might be your first point of confusion.

There are TWO trains you need to get on, and this is your transfer to the red line (the RER A).

You usually just need to cross over to the other side of the platform to catch the RER A (which is super easy). But occasionally, you might need to take an escalator up and over to the other side. It’s all very clear, so don’t worry too much.

When you get to the RER A platform, you’ll see a large board that states where the train terminates. It’s quite easy to understand, and there’s a little Mickey head next to the station name to help you out.

This is the handy Mickey head I was talking about. You’ll also see the estimated number of minutes until the train arrives on the right.

Luckily for us, Marne-La-Vallee/Chessy is the very last stop on the line. You literally just stay on until the train terminates.

The trains usually run 10 or 12 minutes apart and they’re double-decker style trains. I usually head up as I think it’s a more pleasant place to be for the journey. If you’re traveling at a busy time, just try and find a seat!

Simon looking pleased with himself as we scored a seat on the upper deck of the RER A!

Step Eight: Traveling to Disneyland Paris (or Val D’Europe)

When the train arrives, hop on and make sure it’s heading to Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy.

If you get on the wrong train, just get off at the next station and wait for one that’s heading to Marne-la-Vallee. No biggie!

This handy sign on the platform shows exactly which stops the train will go to. If your station isn’t on there, don’t get on!

The ride takes around 36 minutes (give or take) and the stop before Marne-la-Vallee is Val D’Europe.

It doesn’t take long from Val D’Europe to Marne-la-Vallee, so start getting your stuff together at this point.

This is me traveling on the RER A towards Disneyland Paris!

Top Tip:

Remember that Marne-la-Vallee is the end of the line and you’ll have plenty of time to get off! I get wanting to be in the parks ASAP, but don’t get stressed trying to rush.

Step Nine: Getting Off the Train

The exterior of Marne-La-Vallee/Chessy station.

Getting off the train is super easy and you’ll want to follow the signs that say “Sortie” (Exit). It’s not a huge station, and you’ll be able to get out in a couple of minutes.

This is where you’ll need that comically small paper ticket to hand that you got at Gare du Nord! Here’s my tickets for Val D’Europe as a reference for their tininess!

Here are our Val D’Europe tickets to give you an idea of just how small these tickets are. Don’t lose them!

Use it to go through any of the barriers and move quickly – the gates are quite quick and unforgiving.

If you’re plus-sized, I suggest moving over to the larger barriers as the regular ones are incredibly tight. The same goes if you’re carrying a lot of luggage.

Step Ten: Getting to the Parks (or Your Hotel)

The Disneyland Paris station sign!

Da-da-da-day (yep, that little celebration jingle!) – you’ve arrived in Disneyland Paris! Well, kind of.

But you can literally see the security gates from right outside the station. So, it’s totally the same thing.

Me right outside the entrance to Disneyland Paris! You’ll see the security gates just on the left and one of the entrances/exits for Marne La Vallee JUST to the left of where I’m standing. Well, it’s just out of view, but I promise it’s there!

If you need to get to a Disney Hotel, you can either walk or hop on the shuttle. The shuttle station is on the side of the station to the left.

The buses can take a while, so I highly recommend walking if you’re in the Art of Marvel, Newport Bay or Sequioa.

Top Tip

I highly recommend booking the Disney Express Hotel Check-In Luggage Service ahead of time if you can.

It’s located at the top of Marne-la-Vallee station and lets you release ALL your luggage.

It’s taken straight to your hotel and you’ll be given park tickets and be allowed to go straight to the parks.

Checking in at the hotels during peak periods can take upwards of an hour, and then you have to come all the way back.

This saves you tons of time and is well worth the cost in my opinion!

I hope that this guide has run you through how to get from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris.

Do you have any other questions about getting between these two stations? I’m more than happy to answer any burning questions in the comments below. After all, this ain’t my first rodeo!

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